â€śWhen I got married and sponsored him then I found out he was on a deportation notice,â€ť said Singh. â€śI realized … I was a passport.â€ť

â€śIt really humiliated me.â€ť

Singh spent more than a decade battling for divorce and against her financial responsibilities of $50,000 â€” a result of a signed undertaking, a contract leaving her financially responsible for her ex because he went on welfare. Sheâ€™s since been an advocate for victims of marriage fraud.

Last month Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) created a new regulation requiring sponsored spouses to live with their sponsor for two years, or risk losing permanent resident status â€” but this wonâ€™t solve the problem, said Singh.

â€śIf your spouse comes and you have this two years, for a woman itâ€™s really bad because you might be stuck with this abusive man,â€ť she said.

Local immigration lawyer Zool Suleman said the rationale for the policy isnâ€™t clear.

â€śI donâ€™t think that itâ€™s going to end up protecting the Canadian sponsor too much if the relationship is abusive,â€ť he said. â€ś(But) Canadians bringing in individuals as their spouses can have more power in the relationship because the non-Canadian has to basically behave for two years.â€ť

â€śI donâ€™t know that itâ€™s that well thought-out … it doesnâ€™t change the core problems in abusive scenarios.â€ť

For the regulation to work, Singh said CIC would need to follow up and monitor the relationships.

But according to CIC, thereâ€™s no routine check-in â€” immigration officers only follow up if a concern is raised.

Additional resources arenâ€™t attached to the regulation either.

â€śThe majority of costs … will be absorbed by the Government of Canada within existing resources,â€ť CIC said in an email.

The government of Canada wants to â€śwash their handsâ€ť of married life, said Suleman.

â€śImmigration Canada wants to get out of the marriage business once the immigrant has entered Canada,â€ť he said. â€śNo government department wants to keep an eye on marriages.â€ť

There needs to be a better avenue to file a complaint about fraudulent behaviour, he said.

â€ś(CIC officials) take the complaint … and it sits there.â€ť

And before they know it, social services sends a bill from the undertaking â€“ which happened to Singh.

She had no idea her ex stayed in Canada and went on social assistance after the divorce â€“ until she got billed.

She believes the answer lies in the undertaking of financial responsibility â€” sponsors need to be more aware of it.

â€śWhen women sponsors become victims of marriage fraud and then they get abused by those sponsors … they get double victimized by the government,â€ť she said. â€śThe person you are sponsoring is still not held accountable.â€ť

â€śThe person doing the fraud will really lure the victim and will make them believe theyâ€™re in love,â€ť she said. â€śWhen youâ€™re sponsoring you have to be careful, you have to be aware, you have to have a good eye to be able to see if that guy truly loves you or not.â€ť